Chatbot for E-commerce: The Best on the Market
Let’s start the article with a somewhat controversial point: people, in general, are either not used to dealing with chatbots in e-commerce or simply don’t like them.
However, there’s a caveat: we’re not talking about AI-powered chatbots. Most people today have no idea what customer service looks like when driven by this technology.
The biggest complaint from those who dislike interacting with chatbots in e-commerce is that these bots can’t solve problems or maintain a conversation as a human would.
This complaint is valid when we’re talking about pre-programmed chatbots. They truly can’t understand what the user is asking beyond their set parameters.
However, ChatGPT has completely revolutionized the way chatbots for e-commerce operate.
Now, they can provide personalized assistance, not only answering customer questions but also suggesting products, aiming for conversions, and more.
Today, we’ll discuss these types of chatbots. We’ll explore what they’re already capable of, what they will be able to do in the future, and, of course, suggest a few tools as well.
Shall we get started?
What’s New in E-commerce Chatbots with ChatGPT?
From our own experience as chatbot developers, for most of their existence, chatbots didn’t have the features we see emerging today.
And by “today,” I mean very recently: following the launch of major Natural Language Processing models like ChatGPT, new chatbots have been developed and released.
Chatbots have always operated through simple algorithms created by users themselves — these are the chatbot flows.
In many cases, like lead generation, for example, this approach is more than sufficient.
But in many other cases, it’s not.
Customer service is the main area affected. The simplest chatbots, which work through flows, often don’t even allow the user to say anything.
Interactions are pre-determined by the flow itself. Instead of stating their need, the user selects an option.
This renders such chatbots ineffective for customer service.
So much so that companies specializing in customer support tools — like Zendesk, for instance — have consistently focused on frameworks to assist human agents.
ChatGPT is changing this dynamic, and in the following sections, you’ll understand exactly how:
Chatbots Have Become Truly Intelligent
As you may have noticed, chatbots couldn’t provide effective support simply because the technology didn’t exist back then.
And when we say “back then,” we’re talking about just last year. 😅
Chatbots were only as intelligent as their flows allowed, which was often enough in many cases.
For example, chatbots have silently transformed banking support. Alongside apps, they’re responsible for significantly reducing the long lines at bank branches during business hours.
However, for customer service, they weren’t that smart. But now they are.
The GPT model can be integrated into various types of applications through APIs. In other words, apps can be created using GPT.
This is precisely what chatbots do. Just as ChatGPT can understand what you’re saying and deliver appropriate responses, so can chatbots that use GPT.
This is what’s been transforming the e-commerce landscape. Now, customer service can be automated, freeing up human agents to handle more complex issues.
This intelligence isn’t just about the ability to respond. By feeding the tool with your database, responses are provided based on your brand’s information.
If someone asks the price of a product, for example, the chatbot can answer and even provide the link for purchase.
A lot is still in development, and not all tools offer the maximum capabilities for e-commerce chatbots.
When we bring examples, this will become much clearer.
Application is Simple and Very Fast
Building a chatbot from scratch isn’t a simple task.
We have an article on the blog, for instance, that discusses three ways to create a WhatsApp chatbot. And in that article, we saw that if you decide to build the chatbot yourself, the process is quite complex and costly.
Even if you don’t go it alone and opt for a flow-based chatbot, you’ll still need to create the flows, design strategies, and plan the support process.
AI-powered e-commerce chatbots don’t have these limitations.
Our own support chatbot here at Leadster can be implemented in just a few minutes. Specifically, 12 minutes.
That’s the time it takes to read the page where it’s applied and start responding to users.
And this isn’t a unique advantage exclusive to Leadster. AI technologies are naturally fast, and the task of reading and storing information from your site isn’t too complex for them.
AI E-commerce Chatbots Answer up to 78% of Questions
With all of this in mind, you may be wondering about the true effectiveness of these AI-powered e-commerce chatbots.
Are they really that good, or is it all just marketing?
First, regarding the idea of it being “just” marketing: that’s not exactly the case. AI-powered chatbots can indeed handle user requests because they converse like a human and understand almost like a human.
In a simple conversation, natural language and access to all company data are all a tool needs to deliver accurate responses.
And that’s precisely what AI e-commerce chatbots have.
In our tests and conducting global benchmarks, we found that AI-powered customer service chatbots can answer up to 78% of user questions and requests.
The remaining 22% is entirely expected. Some queries will be very, very specific.
For example: the user is looking for information on the delivery status of a product they ordered. In this case, the AI would need access to tracking details, which is more complicated.
Or a specific use of a product that led to damage. Here, it’s difficult for the AI to “decide” if this issue is covered by the return and exchange policy; human analysis is needed.
In short, responding to 100% of questions is impossible, and even customers don’t expect that. But close to 80% efficiency allows the other 20% to receive the best possible attention.
The Top 5 Chatbot Platforms for E-commerce
Everything we’ve discussed so far isn’t exclusive or hard to find. AI-powered e-commerce chatbots have been a market reality for some time now.
They exist in a few different categories, but the two main ones are general customer support platforms and AI chatbots specifically for e-commerce.
They might seem similar, but there’s a subtle difference that impacts pricing.
There are customer support platforms that have been in the market for years, maybe even decades. They already have a robust framework around customer service as a whole, with AI emerging as an added feature.
At the same time, there are chatbot platforms created exclusively for direct support. They are more straightforward, getting to the point faster, and therefore are more cost-effective.
Throughout the list, we’ll assess together, case by case, which category each tool falls into.
Let’s go:
1 – Leadster
Leadster sits somewhere between the first and second categories we described.
We have always been a chatbot developer focused on lead generation. And we’ve implemented ChatGPT in this task since 2022.
But now, we’ve launched Leadster AI for direct support, with no need to create flows, going beyond the lead generation focus.
With Leadster AI, you can:
- Automatically resolve 78% of your website’s support requests.
- Qualify leads and reduce the number of unqualified contacts.
- Increase your conversion rate by up to 50%, assisting visitors during the purchase process.
- Sell 24/7, discussing your product/service within seconds.
The process is quite simple.
- Upload your knowledge base: Upload your knowledge base to the AI tool. You can use documents in various formats (.doc, .pdf, .txt) or even website pages.
- Add it to the flow and configure: Add the AI to a chatbot flow (it can be a new or existing flow in your Leadster account) and configure its display for when visitors have questions.
- What to do with the visitor? Choose what to do with the visitor after resolving their questions. You can redirect them to a salesperson, schedule a meeting, or end the contact, among other options.
Try it free today for 14 days, no credit card required!
2 – ManyChat AI
ManyChat is one of the most well-known chatbots for automating responses on Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
It even ranks highly on our list of the best chatbots for the market, which we updated this year.
Its AI functionality is quite interesting, but it has two limitations.
The first is the application of this AI. It is mainly focused on social networks, serving those who sell on these platforms—whether exclusively or as part of a larger e-commerce strategy.
The second limitation is that there is no free-flow conversation. The user interacting with the chatbot will still be in a pre-determined flow.
What ManyChat brings with its new AI functionality is adjustments to existing texts and help in creating new flows.
It’s a feature similar to what we already have natively here at Leadster in the chatbot for generating leads.
In our case, you receive copy recommendations for creating chatbot flows on your most visited pages.
ManyChat offers AI suggestions with selectable tones of voice for creating flows but does not offer live chat with AI.
See the plans directly on the website.
3 – Ada
The Ada platform is quite different: it was created specifically to be a live chat model with AI.
That means it was designed with customer service in mind, not as an extra feature like ManyChat.
Currently, Ada has three main functionalities:
- Messaging: Directly responds to users sending text messages based on the knowledge base you configure.
- Voice: Understands and transcribes audio that your customers send, and also enables audio sending on your website.
- Email: The platform can automatically respond to emails. This feature handles 70% of all email inquiries from the brand.
This trio of functionalities ensures near-complete CX automation for your company.
“Near” because, as we’ve seen so far, it’s impossible to guarantee that AI will respond to and resolve all inquiries.
Some are quite complex and require human reasoning for complete resolution—not due to a fault of the AI, but because the technology has not yet reached that level.
Visit the website to learn more about the product and its pricing. The biggest issue is the lack of support in Portuguese.
4 – Gorgias
This one is for those using e-commerce platforms. The main differentiator of Gorgias is that it was specifically built with these platforms in mind.
Several chatbots for e-commerce already come with API integration options for major platforms, but Gorgias goes a step further.
It was designed to be easily installed on these platforms. It’s so “semi-native” that you can find it in nearly all the app stores of these platforms. Installation is as simple as installing an app from the brands themselves.
The main platforms that easily integrate Gorgias are:
- Magento (Adobe Commerce)
- WooCommerce
- Shopify
- BigCommerce
- PrestaShop
The biggest drawback of Gorgias, and most AI-powered chatbots for e-commerce, is the lack of support in Portuguese.
But aside from that, it offers everything the other platforms we reviewed offer, with the added benefit of easy integration with these e-commerce tools.
5 – Zendesk Chat
Zendesk is one of the largest, if not the largest, CX platforms in the market today.
It belongs to the first category we discussed: it was initially a robust general customer service platform that has tested its AI features over the years.
Now, in 2024, Zendesk has a tool entirely focused on live chat using ChatGPT.
One of the most positive aspects of Zendesk Chat is its massive database of customer service data, which was directly plugged into the tool’s database.
This means its database is well-trained from day one, and responses don’t take much time to adjust to the way it serves your customers.
It’s worth noting that Zendesk was the first company to use AI for interesting features, such as identifying not only users’ questions but also their mood.
All this information makes up the “brain” of Zendesk Chat, which is one of the most powerful tools among those we’ve discussed so far.
However, the biggest downside of Zendesk Chat is its complexity. The platform is very comprehensive, which increases its price and makes the learning curve steeper.
Visit the website for pricing information.
So, what do you think of our list of the best chatbots for e-commerce? I hope it was as comprehensive as you needed.
In any case, I invite you to try Leadster AI today.+
This technology is still quite new, and here at Leadster, we’re at the forefront, with cutting-edge technology and fair pricing that fits into your growth plans without hindering them.
Get to know the tool and try it out today. The entire process, from clicking the banner below to configuring everything, takes less than an hour.
That’s right: in less than an hour, you’ll have AI-driven customer service on your website. I’ll be waiting for you. Thanks for reading!
